PHOTO GALLERY: Inside QuikTrip’s New Remote Travel Centers
TULSA, Okla. — QuikTrip Corp. (QT) is trucking along its in development of a new network of remote travel centers designed specifically for highly trafficked areas of the country.
The first location debuted in Joplin, Mo., in June 2020 and since then, QT has rapidly expanded the network to now include more than a dozen locations.
Its latest remote travel center opened in Cottondale, Ala., in February 2022. This milestone location marked the chain’s first store in the state of Alabama.
The most obvious distinction between a traditional QT convenience store and a remote travel center is the size. While the chain’s traditional c-stores range from 4,100 to 5,700 square feet, the travel center stores average approximately 8,000 square feet.
They are also surrounded by a larger lot with room to service about 20 cars for gas, as well as six diesel bays for trucks, depending on the location, according to Aisha Jefferson-Smith, corporate communications manager for the Tulsa, Okla.-based chain.
Fresh food is a focal point within the new remote travel centers. They feature an expanded QT Kitchens concept, offering made-fresh-to-order food, premium specialty drinks, tasty frozen treat selections, and more.
The new travel center model is created specifically for highly traveled areas of the country that are also within a reasonable proximity to a QT Distribution Center for access to fresh food and drink items, Jefferson-Smith explained.
Customers at the remote travel centers will find freshly crafted made-to-order sandwiches, salads and wraps, as well as fresh doughnuts and pastries. In the area of beverages, the selection encompasses freshly brewed coffee, cold brew coffee, freshly brewed QTea, as well as premium specialty drinks.
QT Kitchens customer favorites include soft pretzels, extra-large pizzas, mac & cheese, custom breakfast tacos, hardwood smoked BBQ sandwiches, and the QuikShake.
The design of the remote travel centers is intentionally the same as a traditional QT convenience store — a design that has been honed over 63 years in business.
“We are striving to ensure our ‘QT culture’ is consistent with our service and brand that so many customers have come to love,” Jefferson-Smith stated.
At the same time, the convenience retailer is targeting new truck traffic and new local customers with its remote travel centers. “Our goal is to create meaningful connections with our new local customers in the Remote Store Network, but also serve travelers in the busy parts of the country,” she noted.
QuikTrip intends to keep up the rapid expansion of this new network. While the concept is still a bit too new for any tweaks or adjustments just yet, Jefferson-Smith said the retailer plans to “learn as much as we can as we continue to build.”
Founded in 1958, QuikTrip has grown to a more than $11 billion privately held company with 900-plus stores in 15 states. QuikTrip gives back to the communities it serves, donating 5 percent of its net profits to charitable organizations each year.